Beyond The Cure
by Miran Anders
Summary: A take of the movie X3 and what happens afterwards, seen from the point of view of telepath Ariel Waters. A sequel, of sorts, to Still Waters. Reviews Appreciated!
1. Muir Island

AN: This story begins before the movie X-3, will cross through it obliquely and then move beyond to new beginnings. It is another tale of my own creation, the mutant telepath Ariel Waters… you may want to read _Still Waters_ first. I hope you enjoy.

ooOoo

_The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea. Isak Dinesen_

ooOoo

Dr. Ariel Waters, PhD., appeared to be in a sound sleep as she sat in the comfortable chair next to the hospital bed. Rather abruptly her shoulders lifted as she straightened up and gave a little shudder, her eyes opening. She looked at her hand, which rested on the arm of the man lying in the bed - known technically only as "him", although the head of the lab often affectionately called him their "charge". Taking a deep breath, she squeezed his arm gently. Monitors beeped their soft symphony as she carefully removed two sticky leads from her temples, smiling with sad resignation at the man.

The door of the room opened a crack, and a dark-haired woman peeked in. She spoke very softly.

"Ariel?"

"It's all right, Moira. You can come in."

"Anything?"

The psychologist telepath sighed. "Nothing. I'd like one more go at it tomorrow, though. If it's just me not being able to make contact -"

"I'm sure you're doing your best. Charles was positive that if there was anything to feel, you'd be the one to know."

Ariel smiled, pulling her hair back with a clip from her lab coat. "Charles has a lot of confidence. I may be having trouble with the 'permission' aspect, but I don't think so. His mind, Moira… It's as if –"

Moira MacTaggert watched quietly as Dr. Waters distractedly flipped open the stainless steel chart and read over the patient's current day of existence. She couldn't bring herself to call it 'life'. Born without higher brain function, the man was as good as an empty vessel… or at least that's what they assumed. And that rather weighty assumption was why MacTaggert brought Dr. Waters to the island. With her ability to reach into the subconscious, Moira hoped that Ariel would be able to find out if there was a possibility, any possibility at all, that there was 'someone home'. The human factor made all the difference for her in this situation, no matter what the most advanced machinery on the planet might say. And so, for the last month, Ariel had been trying diligently to make contact, find some shred of personality, with no success. The pressure was beginning to wear on her, and the head of the project was afraid it showed.

"Ariel?"

"Mmm?" Dr. Waters turned from her examination of the chart and seemed to see Moira for the first time. "Oh, sorry. It's just…"

"I know, Ariel. Listen, love. I have a feeling that if there's something to know, you know by now." The gentle lilt in her voice as she relaxed spoke of the highlands that Muir Island sat near. The telepath sighed, shaking her head uncertainly as Moira put a hand on her shoulder. "All right. Let's get some lunch, then, anyway. You're looking a bit peaked."

Ariel grinned in spite of herself. "Sounds good." She replaced the chart and stood watching the man for a moment more – then shrugged. "Yeah. Lunch."

They walked in companionable silence to the commissary, grabbed a pair of salads, tea, and sat down at a corner table. Halfway through her salad, Ariel started talking as if they had never paused.

"There are _some_ memories. Well, I don't know if I'd call them that, but I've got no vocabulary for this."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… his eyes open, his ears work, he has all his senses. And that information is there, kind of… but there's no context. And they're all recent, as if there's no storage. There's no one there to pick out what to save. There are images of the hospital room, of you and even me… but they're empty."

"Empty."

Ariel stabbed a defenseless cherry tomato and waved it vaguely with her fork. "It's like… okay. It's like opening a box of pictures that you found at an estate sale. Interesting pictures… that mean absolutely nothing."

"Ah." Moira sipped her tea and looked across the table. "I know this is hard. You know how much I appreciate it, yes?"

Ariel grinned. "I-"

The door of the commissary suddenly burst open, and a young man with a worried expression flew in, looking around until he found the table where MacTaggert sat. "Boss? There's something on TV that I think you should see." He turned to leave as quickly as he came.

The women looked at each other and followed him without a word into the media room nearby.

Ariel frowned as she listened to the announcement from the lab on Alcatraz, and couldn't help her astonished exclamation.

"A cure? But - this isn't a disease."

Moira sighed as she continued watching the screen. "No, but there are some who would benefit none the less. Ones who aren't able to live as they are, no matter what can be done to help." She gave Ariel a tight smile. "There's only a few, though, that I know of. With this going on, I should be checkin' at the school." With a bare pause, she continued. "Would you like to…?"

"No, Moira. I don't think there's anyone there I need to talk to. Find out what's going on, and give the Professor my best."

"Of course." The older woman left for her office, leaving Ariel standing in the media room, looking blankly at the big screen as she thought back to when she'd taken her leave from Xavier's school.

ooOoo

_Two Months Previous_

It was well past midnight. The big kitchen in the mansion was dark except for one light over the sink, and deserted except for two figures standing in the dim light. One was highlighted briefly as he took a beer from the fridge.

"Why shouldn't you use it, if you can?"

"Logan. You know I don't walk in without permission –" The argument had an _used_ sound to it, as if they'd been through it before.

"I'm serious, Ariel. I'm talking about survival. We could use you. –"

"Use me? I'm not useful now?" Her green eyes glittered in the dim light, with just a touch of mischief behind the affronted stare.

He took a swig of the beer and thumped the bottle down on the counter. "You know what I mean." The Wolverine clenched his fists as he stared into her eyes. "I'm just saying that the team was…" he paused, broke eye contact. "The team-"

"I can't replace her, Logan."

His eyes snapped back to where she stood leaning against the kitchen counter, her arms crossed over her chest. "I can't replace her, and I have no desire to. Anywhere."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She exhaled quietly. "You know exactly what I mean."

The Wolverine stalked across the room and nearly snarled in her face. "You saying that I'm only in this for… a replacement?"

Ariel watched him in silence. The psychologist in her was observing his aggressive stance with professional interest, while the woman who knew him found herself strangely unphased by it. She bit off her first few responses and took a deep breath. _ Sometimes being a counselor is no fun at all._ Consciously uncrossing her arms and resting her elbows on the counter behind her so that he had nothing to be aggressive against, she gave him a grim little smile.

"What I'm saying, Logan, is that we have had something very special, very unique. I don't want to make it fit into some other desire you may have."

His frown didn't budge. "Ariel –"

"Logan." She stepped forward unexpectedly, getting inside his guard and placing a hand on his chest. Her green eyes looked deep into his hazel, and he felt his anger fading in spite of himself. He whispered as rapped his knuckles on the table. "Damn it, Ariel. I'm not trying to make you into Jean." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she acknowledged his attempt to be straightforward. "I mean it. You can come in and look for yourself, if you want to."

She cocked her head and watched him for a moment. "I don't think that would be the best idea right now." She reached to stroke his cheek. "I care a great deal for you, Logan."

He lifted his hand to cover hers and turned his head, his lips brushing her palm. "You know how I feel."

Her grin was sincere. "Yeah." Pulling herself away, she walked over to the big oak table and sat down. "I don't think you're done grieving."

"You can't lose something you never –"

Her raised hand stopped him. "We're not talking about what you had. We're talking about what you're in mourning for."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"No? Why is Rogue fighting depression? She's never had an intimate relationship. Yet she grieves that lack."

Logan stared off toward the door for a moment, then flopped into another chair at the table. "So what are you saying?"

She reached over and put her hand on his, brushing her thumb gently over his knuckles in a gesture that had become a fond intimacy between them. "Just that maybe, we need to give you a little more time. Give _this_ a little more time. Just… to be fair."

ooOoo

"Dr. Waters?"

Ariel shook her head, and came back to the present, looking at the young man who had summoned them. "Yes?"

"The boss needs to see you. She said it was –"

Ariel's eyes widened as she felt a familiar but unusually distressed mind. Without waiting for him to finish, she turned and ran down the hallways toward Moira's office. She hadn't reached it when she stopped, feeling the person mentally across half a planet - a distance she couldn't span alone.

_Professor?_

She felt an abrupt warmth as their minds touched. Charles Xavier's thoughts were diamond sharp, yet the contact was as welcoming as a voyage home.

_Ariel. Sorry to intrude this way, but this is important. I'm afraid it's Jean. _

There was a tense pause as she struggled to keep up her end of the contact with her old teacher, even though she knew he could probably find her mind anywhere on the planet. He had shared, professionally, some of his fears for the class five mutant that had been crushed in the waters of Alkaline Lake.

_Jean? But she's…_

A strange sensation thrilled through her, even from half a world away.

_Yes. She's alive._

ooOoo


	2. Connections

oooOooo

Ariel had leaned against the wall in the corridor, her eyes closed as she concentrated on what the Professor was projecting to her.

_She's alive, Ariel. Jean's alive. And if you remember anything I said about her… I'm not sure what's going to happen. _

_Of course I remember what you told me! … is she… stable?_

_At the moment. But there are other factors at work. I'm afraid things are coming to a head once more, and this time…_

_We heard the news report about this so-called cure. Are you all okay? _

_Yes. But Eric is taking this as reason for an all out rebellion._

Ariel frowned at the ghost of a feeling. Something he wasn't saying.

_There's something else, isn't there. _

There was a pause as Ariel felt the Professor deciding how to proceed.

_Indeed. I'm afraid Logan has had a difficult time with Jean's return…_

Ariel swore out loud as well as in her mind.

_Damn. He knows to stay away from her, doesn't he? In her compromised state… she's a telepath, for God's sake, she'll feel the strength of his emotions a mile away! Anything could happen… _

_Yes. I've warned him, but… you know better than anyone how difficult he is to persuade. There's more…_

In a moment, the Professor passed a burst of information to her. Scott's death, Jean being discovered… The telepath slammed a fist against the wall, but kept her eyes shut.

_What can I do? I feel so helpless here._

_Just tell me how the project is progressing._

_What? It's… it's fine, I suppose. I've found nothing, so far, but-_

_As I suspected. Thank you, Ariel. I'm not sure what's going to happen. Don't lose hope. And remember that the mansion may need you again in the future. _

She frowned as something in the tone of his thoughts stuck in her chest.

_Professor?_

_Please, Ariel. Carry on, no matter what happens._

_No matter what? What are you saying, Professor? ... Professor?_

_It's Eric. He's looking for Jean… I must go._

_Professor! What's –_

She felt a physical sensation of a door closing as she attempted in her own way to pry.

_I must go, now. Thank you, Ariel. Give Moira my love. I expect she's trying to contact me… please tell her… I'm sorry, and… I hope to see her again. Good-bye. _

The connection broke abruptly.

_Charles!_

Moira MacTaggert walked out of her office and nearly into Ariel, who was standing absolutely still, her eyes still closed, her face flushed. "Ariel? What's wrong, dear?" She reached out to her but stopped, not wanting to interrupt.

Ariel's eyes opened, and she gulped air as if she had forgotten how to breathe. "Moira."

"What is it? I tried to call the mansion, but no one's answering… " her eyes widened. "Did you –"

"The Professor contacted me. I'm not sure what's happening… but he sounded so…"

"So…?"

"So _final_."

The older woman put an arm over her shoulder and guided her toward the commissary. "All right. We'll talk about it, but first we get some tea. You look like death warmed over."

They traveled through the hallways, Ariel speaking in hurried, hushed tones about Jean's return. When they had their mugs and were sitting in a quiet corner, the telepath hesitated before going on. "He… he said good-bye, Moira. He sent you his love." She paused, feeling a bit awkward. "He said to tell you he's sorry. And that he hopes to see you again."

The older woman's eyebrow lifted. "Did he?"

"Yes."

Moira looked at her mug, her finger tracing around the edge, then back to Ariel. She didn't need telepathic powers to know that something serious was happening. "If he didn't tell you anything we could do, then we'll carry on as we've been." She stood, took the counselor's arm and led her toward the media room. "But for now, let's watch with the rest of the world."

Ariel had walked several steps out in the corridor when she stumbled, clutching at the wall for support.

"Ariel? What is it, love?" The look on the younger woman's face wavered from horrified to confused.

"I don't know. For a second there I thought the Professor…" She steadied herself, shook her head.

Moira watched her for a moment. "Is he all right?"

"I don't know."

"Can you reach him from here?"

"No. I'm not half the power he is. My skills are more for close range." Ariel pushed her hair back restlessly. "But my God. I can still feel _Jean_. From here."

Moira bit her lip thoughtfully. "That means…"

"Exactly. She must be the Phoenix now."

oooOooo

They had been sitting in the media room for half an hour when Moira's assistant reappeared, holding a phone. "Boss? It's for you."

She took it from him distractedly, still watching the news reporter talking about renegade mutants bombing Cure clinics. "Hello?"

"Moira?"

"Yes?"

"It's Ororo."

Moira blinked away from the screen and sat up tensely. "What is it?"

"I didn't want you to hear it on the news… it's about the Professor."

When she hung up the phone a few minutes later, Ariel was staring at her, disbelieving. "You heard, yes?"

The telepath nodded, smiled sadly. "It's foolish, I guess… Somehow I thought I'd know."

"So did I."

oooOooo

They sat up through the night, watching the news coverage as Magneto's forces took more and more liberties, seemingly unstoppable. Cross coverage between Magneto and the defense of the labs on Alcatraz abruptly merged into one story as a poor tourist -who happened to be making a video tape of a certain bridge - suddenly found himself in possession of the hottest commodity in broadcasting.

The untimely death of the greatest man they knew was not mentioned.

The women watched in frustrated horror as the scene returned to the newsroom, well dressed anchor people trying to guess what was happening as reporters who got close enough to the action to tell anything simply vanished.

At about two in the morning, Ariel jumped in her seat.

"What is it?" Moira's voice was a cautious whisper, not sure if it wanted an answer.

Ariel turned and stared at her, wide-eyed. "Something." _Logan?_ "I think they've won… they've beaten her…" Her expression grew more concerned. "At least, I think –"

The television broke in, verifying her feeling. The X-Men had conquered the rebellion, the Phoenix, and evidently incapacitated Magneto himself. Only when they were looking for someone to thank some hours later, as dawn approached, did the reports seem to realize that Charles Xavier, the leader behind this band of brave warriors (as they were now called), was dead. Ariel watched silently as the cameras panned across the weary fighters – and she saw in the blur that Bobby, Kitty and Peter were standing side by side with the adults – and there it was. The angry, wounded face of the Wolverine, nearly wiping the camera out of the reporter's hands before Storm stepped in, saying something about them needing to leave. A final glare, and the man was walking toward their plane… his uniform in tatters. _And so is he… oh, Logan. What happened out there? _Ariel took a deep breath when the scene changed back to the newsroom.

Ariel and Moira both felt tears come as the obligatory obituary was given by the reporter – a handsome photograph of the man they knew so well filling half the screen. They didn't have anything to say, but felt comforted by each other's presence, sitting quietly and listening with half an ear to the continuing reports.

Eventually Moira wiped her eyes and looked out the window at the sun that had already lifted over the horizon. "Well. I better check in on our charge, then."

"Do you need me to –"

"No, love. I'll check on him."

In an automatic haze Moira MacTaggert found the hospital room. Routine had her checking the monitors, the charts… and as she leaned over to verify a reading, she heard a voice.

"Hello, Moira."

Her eyes widened as she looked at her charge lying there, his face turned towards her, a wan smile curving his lips.

"Charles?"

oooOooo


	3. Possibilities

The man's eyes had fluttered shut again, the ghost of the smile fading. Moira MacTaggert blinked hard at him, glanced at the monitors that showed him sleeping peacefully once more, and hit the intercom button. "Doctor Waters, please come to Suite A. Immediately."

Although the scientist had attempted to keep her voice level, Ariel clearly ran the distance to the hospital room. "Moira?" She panted breathlessly. "What is it?"

The older woman carefully closed the door behind Ariel and pointedly faced away from the man in the bed. "Ariel. You must do something for me."

"Anything. What's wrong?"

Moira's expression as she attempted to compose herself concerned Ariel even more. The telepath resisted the impulse to grab her and shake her. Eventually the woman took a deep breath. "I'd like you to check on him."

"Of course. I was planning to today anyway –"

"Now."

Ariel frowned, but watched Moira's eyes and nodded slowly. "All right." She gave the older woman's hand a gentle squeeze before she stepped over to the chair beside the hospital bed. Mentally, she asked permission of the man, as she had every time she attempted to make contact. Sitting down and settling herself, she took a breath as she reached over and laid a hand on the man's arm –

And jumped back up, staring down at the bed.

"Ariel?" The younger woman stared at her. "There's someone there?"

"Yes. Unconscious, but…"

"Can you tell who it is?"

Ariel simply nodded, staring.

"Then it wasn't my imagination."

"What?"

"He said 'hello'."

"My God, Moira. How could he possibly have done this from that distance –" She glanced at Moira in disbelief, then leaned over the man, placing a soft hand on his forehead and whispering, "Forgive me, Professor." Closing her eyes, her lips moved soundlessly for a few moments, then she was still once more.

Moira waited as the telepath concentrated for several minutes. Eventually the younger woman stood upright again, brushing the man's hair back carefully.

"So?"

"It's Charles. But I think you knew that."

"I hoped, I suppose. Is he really here, though?"

"He's weak, but it's the Professor, all right. Even unconscious he has the strongest guards in place that I've ever experienced. I think he has to settle in to this body, this mind."

"Would it help to keep him sedated?"

"Can you do that without dulling his mind?"

Moira bit her lower lip. "Tricky." She shook her head and looked back at Ariel. "What would you suggest?"

"Intentionally or not, I think he's put – himself – into a coma. Whatever protocols you have for that…"

"Aye." The scientist got a grip on herself, briskly took readings from the machinery, made several notes in his chart, and hung it again on the bed. "What he's done here is amazing, but there's no guarantee that even he can make it work for good… and he knew that when he tried."

"Dear God. It must have been quite the battle for him to take this chance."

MacTaggert brushed her hand over his foot as he lay there and her expression became less professional. "I don't think we can tell the others yet, love. It wouldn't be fair."

"But –"

"Think about it. We might lose him twice… it's hardly fair to put the rest through it as well."

Ariel frowned for a moment, but then nodded slowly. "You're right. It's not like there's anything he could do in this state anyway – and knowing the Professor, if the whole school was waiting for him to come back, he'd feel it from here. We'll just have to wait and see. "

oooOooo

The next night Ariel was sleeping in her personal quarters in the lab complex, wondering why the bird in her dream suddenly made such an odd noise. A second later, she was blearily answering her cell phone that was buzzing insistently on the night table. "Dr. Waters speaking."

"Um… Doctor?"

Ariel sat up, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she recognized the voice. "Rogue? Is that you, Marie?"

"Yes."

"Ah. It's good to hear from you... How are you holding up, dear?"

"I…" The girl's voice was quiet, and barely composed.

Ariel tried to relax and figure out what was going on. This was beyond grief over the Professor… and then it came to her abruptly. "Oh… You've taken the cure, haven't you."

A sigh that was partially relief for not having to say it came across from the other side of the globe. "I did. I think it was the best thing to do."

"All right." Ariel paused, and smiled thinly when the moment stretched. "And are you feeling better, now?"

"I'm just not sure… I mean, I'm back at the mansion, but I don't feel like I belong here anymore."

"You'll always belong there, Marie. They love you."

"Yeah, well, that's the thing, isn't it?"

The telepath put a hand to her forehead as she thought about how complicated even non-mutant teenage relationships were. "And how did Bobby react?"

"He said it wasn't what he wanted. But it's not about him."

"It isn't?"

"No! It's… about me. About being able to ever be close to _anyone_, not just him."

"Of course…"

The conversation went on for half an hour, as the counselor got a feel for what the girl really felt about what she had done. She kept to herself her own opinion - that Rogue might have eventually learned to control her powers. The call ended with Marie promising she'd call back in a couple days. Ariel put the phone back on the nightstand and looked at her watch. It read four thirty in the morning. With a chuckle, she closed her eyes again, pleased that the teenagers she worked with felt that they could call her anytime… despite a little detail like time zones.

Three hours later she woke again, showered, dressed, and wandered down to Suite A before getting some breakfast. Nothing had changed. The man – the _Professor_, she reminded herself – was still comatose, his vital signs steady. Brain scans showed somewhat unusual but sporadic activity. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.

"Professor," she whispered, "You _will_ let me know if there's anything I can do?"

Her mind teased her with a flutter of response, which she assumed she imagined. "All right. I'll be around."

She walked out into the hallway and found Dr. MacTaggert heading toward the room. "How is he?"

"The same."

"Well, I guess that's the best we can expect, for now."

"I suppose. Did you eat?"

"Oh, yes, I'm afraid I've been up for hours. Ororo called. She wanted me to talk to you first..."

"First? Is anything wrong?"

Moira looked at her steadily. "I'm not sure yet. Walk with me, love, and we'll talk about it."

oooOooo

On the other side of the planet, Logan stared out the window. The dark afternoon had melted into a drizzling evening, and the damp seemed to seep through the very walls of the mansion and into the professor's silent office, the empty wheelchair sitting like an abandoned throne in its center.

His fists clenched as he leaned against the glass. "Damn." He felt, rather than heard, someone enter behind him, and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Logan?" He steeled his reaction against the concern in her voice.

"I'm fine."

"I didn't –"

"Ororo. I'm fine."

One eyebrow lifted as Storm looked at Wolverine's back. Rarely did he resort to using her given name. "Logan…"

He turned, reluctantly, and looked at the floor. "I'll get out of here if you need the space. I didn't think you'd be taking over his office."

"I'm not. I wouldn't, and you know it."

The Wolverine nodded again, reluctantly, and shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's all right."

"No, it's not."

"Listen –"

"I said, I'm fine." He moved abruptly toward the door.

"Wait." There was a touch of the Amazon queen in Storm's voice. Perhaps that was what made the Wolverine freeze in his tracks. "Logan, I need to talk to you about something."

Logan dropped his head back, then turned slowly on his heel to face her. "Fine. What?" Even as he said it, hearing the tone of his own voice, he knew he had pushed his luck, being surly too long. She stalked closer to him, tilted her head, and waited. Eventually her stare won. "Sorry." When she moved to give him a sympathetic squeeze, he didn't stop her. "It's just…so much happening."

"I know. That's part of what I need to talk to you about." They broke the hug and she looked uneasy. "You realize you're second in command now, right?" His eyebrows lifted, but he shrugged a nod. Storm looked relieved as she went on. "All right. You know we're keeping the school going. Well, I really think, with everything that's happened, that we need someone here for the kids – well, for _everyone_ to talk to."

He nodded slowly. "Everything's… turned on end. Some of the kids are just... more confused than ever." He cracked his knuckles and exhaled heavily. "So who do you think …" His eyes narrowed as he watched Storm, who was staring quietly at the floor. "Aw, no. You've got to be kidding." His head dropped once more, and he rubbed a hand over his forehead before looking at her again. "You want to call her back to the mansion, don't you?"

"She's good, Logan. You know it."

"Yeah." Wolverine thumped his fist several times against the professor's desk, although not very hard. "Yeah, she is."

"You going to be okay with this?"

He looked into her eyes, his fists clenching and unclenching unconsciously. "It's not about me, is it? It's about the school. It's about the kids." She nodded with a tight smile, and he shrugged again. "But listen. You know she may not want to come back."

She favored him with a wry grin. "Right. I think we both know Ariel better than that. She knows what's happened, how much the children need her…"

"Yeah."

He turned toward the door, ready to leave once more, when he stopped and looked back at Storm. "But… you'll make the arrangements, right?"

She smiled at him gently. "Don't worry, Logan. I'll call her."

oooOooo


	4. Tea and Sympathy

AN: I'm beginning to think I'm the only one reading this, but hey - _I'm_ enjoying it, anyway!

oooOooo

Rain oozed through a hanging fog in Westchester County, in a half-hearted but convincingly damp way. It was a grey, drizzling, on and off kind of rain, that didn't seem to be able to decide if it actually wanted to go where it was going or not.

Ariel Waters, sitting quietly in the back of a cab heading from the airport toward Xavier's School, thought she knew how it felt. Twisting her keys in her hands, she wondered idly if her room was still as she left it, or even still empty… and she remembered how the Professor had reacted to her telling him she was leaving two months ago, even through her jet lag.

oooOooo

_Two months Previous_

"So… I just think it may be better if I… well… moved on."

"Moved on?" Sapphire flashed in the Charles Xavier's eyes as the rich baritone of his voice rolled out into the room. Ariel stared at the rug, leaning back against his desk. "You make it sound permanent, Doctor Waters."

She winced. Being called by her formal title by the Prof in that tone of voice was too much like the principal calling her into his office in second grade, and then calling her 'Miss'. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Professor –"

"Ariel," he said softly, taking her off the hook for the moment. "Surely you must realize –" He stopped abruptly, his hand raised as his eyes took on a distant, distracted look. With a slight frown he rolled to the window behind his desk and stared out at the peaceful landscape.

Ariel waited, not wanting to disturb him – but after a few moments, began to worry, feeling the tension radiating from him in the air. She spoke in a whisper. "Professor?"

His voice sounded distant. "Perhaps getting away for a while would be… a good idea." Turning his chair away from the window, he smiled with disarming charm, his voice abruptly bright. "Ariel. Are you familiar with Doctor Moira MacTaggert?"

Blinking at the sudden change in topic, the woman replied slowly. "Wait. She's – she's the head of the Muir Island facility, isn't she? Working with the human consciousness studies?"

"Indeed. And she's an old friend of mine, as well. I think you would be ideal in helping her with a project there… if, since you're so determined to get some time away, you might be willing to help me with this as well?"

She had almost laughed. He had deftly made it clear she wasn't getting away that easy… and he had her next assignment in mind. As if she could say _no_ to the Professor. But this would be fine… as long as she could get away for a while.

oooOooo

Outside, the drops gathered on the window in the back of the cab and fell like tears, slowly tracing their way down the glass. Ariel heard herself sigh. She'd said good-bye to Logan and the team in a letter, since they'd _conveniently_ been out on a mission when she took her leave – but she hadn't mentioned how long she'd be gone.

Certainly he knew by now she was coming back. As the mansion loomed in the fog, she looked down at her hands that were still playing absently over the metal of the keys and took a deep breath.

"Here we are, lady." The cabbie twisted around to look at her. "I ain't goin' in there, no offense, but those guys gimme the creeps."

Her eyes lifted, and she stared at him for a long moment. "Yes. Some people give me the creeps, too." Handing him his fare, she pulled her bag out of the back of the cab and stepped out into the rain, not looking back.

oooOooo

Ariel walked around to the garage entrance and punched in her code, half expecting it not to work after everything that had happened, but the door slid open quietly. "Of course. Why should anything change." She shook her head and walked into the garage.

It was quiet in the mansion as she walked toward the kitchen, and she had to check her watch to realize why. The weather outside had been so gray that she wasn't aware of the time, and coming from two months in Scotland, her internal clock was a good five hours off, plus the limbo of flight time. The watch she had reset at the airport told her it was now 4:35 AM, whether she agreed or not. "Good grief. No wonder –" A light in the kitchen archway stopped her in her tracks. _No, no, not ready to see him yet…_

Her heart started beating again as Storm looked out into the hallway. "Thought I heard you." She stepped forward to give Ariel a hug. "Why didn't you call? I would have picked you up."

"Thanks, Ororo, I didn't want to be any trouble."

Storm gave her a look under raised eyebrows. "Really. Had nothing to do with not being sure _who_ would come to pick you up…"

Ariel had to laugh in spite of herself. "I believe _I'm_ the counselor here."

"Yes, you are. And I'm really glad you're back."

Ariel looked around the big kitchen as they walked in, and Storm poured her a cup of tea, refilling her own mug. "I think I'm glad to be back, too… but I'm not sure yet."

"I know what you mean. So much has changed."

"So… how is everyone?"

They sat at the big oak table in the dim light, sipping quietly. "Well, I'm learning how to be in charge. I don't know how the Professor managed to do everything and still run the school… I mean, the business part of running it." Ariel chuckled. "Do you?"

Ariel laughed quietly. "Besides being the most organized man I know, he delegated everything he could. There are some kids here who actually took care of data input for him… Micas, for instance. He doesn't sleep, it made him feel useful."

"And why didn't Micas tell me this?"

The telepath yawned. "'Cause he's shy. The Professor never put any pressure on him, didn't tell him how important it was… he just said, 'do you mind doing this, while you're up', and there you have it."

"Good to know." Storm sipped from her mug again, and looked at the windows. "I miss him."

Ariel fought with the urge to tell her that the Professor might be all right. She debated, in her sleep deprived state, how fair it might be. Luckily, Ororo took her expression for shared grief – and in a way, it was.

"I tell you, Ariel. I feel like he's still with us."

"Yes. Sometimes I do, too."

Taking a brisk breath, Ariel changed the topic. "And what about Marie?"

"We've got three students that went for the cure. Marie seems to be doing fine, although it's always a little hard to tell with her. Another girl and a young boy, who was taken by his parents."

"And he's still here?"

"They brought him back. 'Just in case'."

The two women stared in mute anger at the idiocy of some people.

"I'll set up some sessions tomorrow afternoon. Meantime, I should get some sleep."

"Ariel?"

Waters had stood, picking up her bag once more. "Yes?"

The woman's silverwhite hair was bright as she stood, even in the dim light of the kitchen. "Listen... Logan's still here. He's my second, now." Ariel nodded, and Storm went on. "Did you hear the whole story of what happened that night?"

"Not all of it."

"But you know that he –"

"I know he was the last to fight her, and that… he won. If you can call it that."

"Yes. I think he's a mess about it - I don't know how he couldn't be. But he doesn't talk about it, and I worry that he'll run again." Her dark eyes lifted to the telepath's face. "Will you be able to help him with it?"

Ariel sighed deeply. "I'm more than willing, Oro. I'm just not sure what he'll want." With a resigned smile, she thanked her for the tea and walked quietly to her room.

oooOooo


	5. Ariel's Return

Ariel walked softly down the dim hallways, instinctively avoiding the parts of the mansion that were frequented by the more nocturnal students. The whole house had a subdued feeling – but she wasn't sure if that was coming from her own reticence or from the still grieving population. When she reached the door of what had been her room she took a deep breath, sighed it out, and turned the knob.

It was empty. The bed was freshly turned down, and the lamp by her bed was on, but she was sure that was Ororo's doing. Some part of her had feared that Logan would be there, waiting… and yet some other part was disappointed that he wasn't. She managed to laugh at herself.

_Get a grip, Waters… you're going to need some sleep before you deal with the children that need you, let alone him …_

She set her alarm for a reasonable hour, and was under the warm quilt within minutes, running on a kind of autopilot. Before she dozed off she resisted the urge to open her mind to the mansion, to see how bad it was, and who was there… but instead she marshaled her discipline, set light guards in her mind, and fell quickly into a deep yet oddly restless sleep.

In her dream, she was struggling forward, half drowning as the skin was torn from her body… She woke with a gasp, steadied her breathing and turned the bedside lamp on, waiting for the adrenaline to settle out of her system. Taking a sip of water, she shook her head. _Damn. You'd think this would get easier._ It was fairly common for her to get echoes of what she thought of as 'local' nightmares – from people she was physically or emotionally close to… and she was afraid she knew exactly who she might be getting echoes from tonight. _ If he needs me, he knows where to look._ Turning off the light, she relaxed over a few breaths, suggested a more calm train of thought, and made a point of walling herself off more carefully before she returned to sleep.

…oooOOOooo…

Marie was walking down the main hall in the mansion when she saw her. "Dr. Waters?" Ariel looked up from her notebook, distracted for a moment.

"Marie? You look wonderful." She hugged the young woman, feeling her cling with her newfound freedom to touch.

"I'm so glad you're back…"

Ariel stepped back, her hands on Rogue's shoulders. "I hope I can help."

"You know you can help a lot of people, but I get you first. I'm your two o'clock. Am I your first?"

Dr. Waters glanced at her notebook, flipped a few pages and shook her head. "I see I have a 'Warren' at one. Is he new?"

"He's new. And you better figure on more than an hour next time."

Ariel looked at Marie's expression and smiled. "Oh, really? And how do you know that?"

The girl laughed. "Oh, please. He's more screwed up than I was. I'll see you later, Dr. Waters."

As she watched her walk away, Ariel made note of the fact that Marie used the past tense in reference to being 'screwed up'. Maybe the cure had been able to help more than she thought.

As she turned toward her office, she nearly collided with a slightly frightened looking blond-haired young man wearing a bulky sweater. He laughed nervously as he apologized, and she glanced at her watch before extending her hand. "If you're my one o'clock, you must be Warren. I'm Dr. Waters."

She opened her office and walked in as he trailed anxiously behind, blurting out a broken sentence even before he sat down. "I suppose they told you all about me – and my father – and all that."

Ariel took a deep breath and sat down, inviting him to do the same. He perched on the edge of the leather couch, his eyes darting around her office, his breathing shallow. She smiled easily at him, willing some of her own calm at him. "Warren, you'll find that I prefer to meet someone in person before I get the reports from the huge number of surrogate mothers, fathers and big brothers and sisters we seem to have here." Her smile was mirrored slowly by a grin. "So tell me. How do you like the school so far?"

…oooOOOooo…

Ten hours and seven clients later, Ariel was back in her room, relieved to be able to put her feet up and relax. The sadness in the house was manageable, and only one or two of the students seemed to have issues stirred up that would need work beyond pure grief management. She sighed and sipped her tea. Exhausting as it was, she did love working with – her train of thought was interrupted by her cell phone. Picking it up anxiously, she said "Moira?" before it was completely open.

A warm chuckle greeted her in response. "What, were you sitting on the phone, then?"

"Sorry, it's been a long day… how is he, Moira?"

The sigh from across the planet was weary. "No change yet. I wish you could be in two places at once, love…"

"I know. Me too." Ariel bit her lip thoughtfully. "Do you suppose I should –" MacTaggert cut her off decisively.

"No, Ariel. You know Charles would have none of that. And if he does come out of this – _when_ he does come out of this – I don't want to have to be explaining to him that his star pupil decided to leave his school at sixes and sevens after he trusted her with it. Do you?"

"… I know. You're right. Just tell him…" Tell him what? If only she were close enough to feel for his thoughts, if there were any. She sighed again. "Just tell him 'Ariel and all her quality await his strong bidding'. Did you get that?"

The chuckle was warm from far away. "I'll tell him, love."

…oooOOOooo…


End file.
